Thursday, February 26, 2009

We were able to get down to Alton a few weekends ago to visit Grammy as Brian had to do some work on our rental house. Luckily my brother Troy was able to bring his kids over for a visit too so we were able to spend some quality time together. We all went out for an early Valentine's Day dinner after playing at Grammy's house for awhile. It was chaotic but we had alot of fun.....I'm glad my kids were able to see their uncle & cousins and that I was able to get a picture of all the kids with mom. I just wish my brother's wife Amy could have joined us (she was on call and unable to come).

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Boy that title's about a tongue twister! See if you can say it 5 times fast!

We bought Seth a Buzz Lightyear costume for his birthday and we gave it to him first thing on Sunday. He LOVED it and immediately had to put it on. It came time for breakfast (biscuits & gravy) and Mia had the great idea to put birthday candles in Seth's biscuit (he likes his with butter & jelly, not gravy). Of course we had to snap a picture. And he had to wear his costume again later that night when we had cake and ice cream wth the neighbors.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

We are just having a small gathering tonight with the neighbors and will hold his official party next weekend. We've invited a few of his friends for a Buzz Lightyear party. Toy Story I & II are two of his favorite movies.

Here are a few photos of Seth when he was just a couple of days old. I know I didn't post anything like this on Mia's birthday, but her baby photos aren't digital so it wouldn't have been as easy. I'll try to scan some photos and post a few of her baby pictures in the next few days just to show that I don't play favorites!

Monday, February 16, 2009

The high school cheerleaders sponsored a Cheer Clinic for elementary-age school girls as a fundraiser. The girls practiced for 2 nights after school last week and then got to cheer during half-time at the basketball game last Friday.

Here's a photo of the Junior Varsity basketball players, mainly so you can get a look at the high school gym.

Just before the start of the Varsity game, the 2 cheerleading squads lined up on the sidelines and had a little friendly "Cheer Off". The visiting team (Athens High School) did a cheer first and then the home team (Pleasant Plains High School) did a cheer routine. We were near their end of the court so we were able to see them pretty close-up.

At half-time, the girls came out on the court as 3 separate groups (divided by grades). Mia's group did 2 cheers and a short dance. Unfortunately I couldn't get closer to Mia for the photos, so I have circled her so you can tell her apart from the others.

And Seth had quite a bit of fun too. He enjoyed watching the basketball players and the members of the band (they were directly behind us). Between the JV and Varsity games, Brian took Seth over to the Pep Squad area and Seth got to pose with a couple of guys dressed as a gorilla and a monkey.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Our friend Vince is a big history buff and loves all things military. He even participates in historical re-enactments. Last Saturday, Brian took Seth over to his house. Vince's boys had some friends over to play soldiers. Seth borrowed some clothes and equipment (the guns were toy versions!) and soon became one of the gang. Needless to say, he had a ball. With the boys all decked out in their military gear, they look like the characters from Band of Brothers, the WWII movie.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Just when we're ready to give them away, the kids go and do something cute like this! Now you have to realize that this was taken during a rare moment when they weren't fighting. And in between picking up their rooms (it's a constant at our house....I think we have little gremlins that make messes when we're not looking). Still, I think I'll post it on the fridge to remind me that the do have little angels inside fighting to get out!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

We enrolled Mia in swimming lessons. Not because she can't swim (she's actually a good swimmer), but because she is thinking about joining a local swim team. In order to qualify, you have to be able to swim the 4 main swimming strokes (she's never really learned the formal strokes) and be able to swim the length of the pool. As I suspected, Mia is beginning to get the hang of the strokes pretty quickly. The lessons are great too for building up her stamina and endurance. Since it's the winter and she hasn't swam in months, she gets tired part way through the lap. Mia has 2 instructors in her group and they usually have 3-5 kids each week. The instructors swim alongside the kids individually as they are doing their strokes. The remaining kids wait for their turn at the side of the pool on underwater platforms.

As for the swim team, we're still looking for the right fit and I need to make sure I know all the options. Several of the teams are through local fitness centers and require membership and extra fees to join, which can get really costly. Others meet only during the summer and hold practices during weekdays, which would be impossible for us since we both work and wouldn't be able to get Mia there. And the other one through the local park district is super reasonable, but they meet 4 times per week (evenings & Saturday morning). That's a big commitment for an 8-year old and for us, since it's located all the way across town and we would have to wait there for her the entire time. So, though we're still not sure if she will join a team, she's still getting good swimming experience and the exercise is great. Here are a few photos of the pool, the kids by the side practicing their kicks (Mia is the one with the blue goggles), and Mia swimming.